Typographical composing machine



D. S. KENNEDY.

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, I921.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

INVENTOR or unintentional actuation of the finger keys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID S. KENNEDY, O1? BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSEIGNOR T0 MERGENTHALER LING- TYPE COMEANY, A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK.

TYPUGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE.

Original application filed July 3, 1920, Serial No. 393,856.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1921. Serial No. 478,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID S. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residin at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and otate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typographical Composing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing, and a division of an application filed by me July 8, 1920, Serial No. 393,856. 7

My invention relates to typographical machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in Mergentha ler Patent No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine by the manipulation of a keyboard in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter elevated and returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started.

My present improvements are directed to an automatic arrangement for locking the keyboard when the operation of the machine is arrested or, more specifically, when the power is shut oif, a feature which is very desirable in guarding against the accidental at an improper time. The arrangement is also such that the keyboard will be automatically unlocked when the operation of the machine is subsequently resumed, so as thus to release the finger keys for proper manipulation.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention merely in preferred form and by way of example and as applied to a machine of the class stated, but obviou'sly many changes and alterations may be made therein and in its mode of operation which will still be comprised within its spirit. Generally speaking, I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to any specific form or embodiment except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a pulley arrangement.

linotype machine having my invention embodied therein; and

Fig. 2 is a front view of a detached portion of the automatic adjusting connections represented in Fig. 1.

l have herein illustrated only such parts of the machine as are immediately concerned with my present invention. The other parts may be of any well-known construction, such for example as presented in the commercial linotype machine, or as illustrated in the Mergenthaler patent be fore mentioned. I

The keyboard is of standard construction comprising the supporting frame A and the series of horizontal finger keys or key levers B pivotally mounted therein for vertical movement upon the transverse rods A which sustain them in rows at dilferent levels in the customary way. The finger keys are guided in their vertical movements by the front plate A fixed to the supporting frame A and formed with elongated slots wherein the forward ends of the finger keys are arranged, it being understood of course that the extent of the slots is such as to permit the required actuating movement of the finger keys. At their rear ends the linger keys are engaged with vertically movable slides connected at their upper ends to trip dogs controlling the operation of pivoted cam yokes which, by the engagement of their cams with underlying power driven rolls, are rocked upwardly to operate the matrix releasing devices. hese details are well understood in the art, but if desired reference may be had to the Dodge Patent No.

530,931 for further particulars.

The various power driven parts of the machine are all operated from the electric motor G, the driving connections being made through the small pinion G fixed 'to the armature shaft and the large gear G mounted on the main cam shaft. This gear G is connected to the keyboard rolls before mentioned through the customary belt and The electrical connections G for the motor include the switch button G arranged at the front of the machine within easy reach of the operator and which is adapted to be given quarter rotations in turning on or shutting off the current.

As before stated, the present invention is directed to an automatic arrangement whereby the keyboard is locked or unlocked according to whether the machine is in use or out of use. Stated more specifically. the keyboard is equipped with a suitable locking device which is automatically moved to active and inactive position as the motor is stopped and started, respectively.

In carrying out my invention, I propose to make use of the improved locking device presented in the parent application Serial No. 393,856, before referred to. This locking deviceis in the form of a plate C slid ably mounted upon the fixed front plate A and formed with elongated slots through ward or inactive position of the locking.

plate (7, its elongated slots are in registry with the corresponding slots of the fixed plate A so that the finger keys are free to be depressed or actuated in the usual. way; but when the locking plate is in its rearward or active position, its slots are out of registry with those of the fixed plate and present their lower end walls beneath and in engagement with the bottom edges of the finger keys, which are thus locked against depression or actuation, all as fully set forth in said parent application. In providing for the automatic adjustment of the locking plate C, connections are provided between it and the switch button G ton G is provided with a cam plate H, presenting alternate depressionsand elevations h and 71. respectively, and arranged to co.- operate with a roller H journaled in the lower end of avertically movable rod HF,

which is suitably guided in a bracket 0 and constantly urged downward by a spring H to maintain the roller and cam-plate in en'- gagement. At its upper end, the rod H is connected to a horizontal arm H fixed to one end of a transverse rock shaft H journaled in the bracket 0 and provided at' its opposite end with a vertical arm H", which latter is connected by a forwardly extending link H to the lower end of a lever H centrally pivoted to a second bracket 0 and This switch but active position, this being the condition of the parts as shown in the drawing. On the other hand, when the switch-button is.

turned oil to stop the operation of the motor, the. cam plate H presents one of its elevations h in engagement with the roller H, (see dotted lines in Fig. 2), thereby lift ing the rod H against the action of the spring H and shifting the locking plate rearwardly to active position. As the motor constitutes the source of power for the entire'machine, its stoppage necessarily involves the arrest of the operation of the keyboardrolls. In this connection, it is pointed out that my inventioncontemplates the locking of the keyboard when the power driven means therefor are thrown. out of action, whether this be accomplished inde pendently or by shutting oil? the power for the entire machine as in the foregoing arrangement.

There may be times when the operator will wish to lock the finger keys against actuation without stopping the operation of the machine. This 'may be accomplished simply by shiftingthe locking plate C rearwardly by hand, it being noted that the automatic actuating connections above described are .such as to permit this independent manual control of the locking plate. If desired, a rotary cam plate such as that disclosed in the parent application may be employed to facilitate the manual control of the lockin plate.

While the improved locking device disclosed in the parent applicationlias been made use of in the automatic arrangement above described, it should be understood that other locking devices might be employed with the same effect, my invention in its broader aspects contemplating the automatic locking and unlocking of the keyboard under the conditions stated without regard to the particular form of locking device or of the connections between it and the motor. Asa matter of fact, in some aspects, 1ny'in vention would be realized by the employment of a locking device whichservesonly' to prevent or permit the release of matrices from the magazine. However, the use of the improved locking device in the automatic arrangement presents many advantages and particularly in connection with a keyboard of. the linotype class, wherein as before 'in dicated the finger-keys controlpower-driven elements which effect the release of the matrices. In short, I have herein shown my invention only in preferredform and by way of example and as applied to a particular kind of machine, but obviously many modifications and alterations therein and in its mode offapplication will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing, from the scope of the invention. I

Having thus described my inventiomits" construction and mode of operation, what I claim is as follows:

1. In a typographical machine, the combination of a source of power, means for shutting off the power at will, a keyboard, locking means therefor, and means whereby the shutting off of the power automatically effects the locking of the keyboard.

2. In a typographical machine, the combination of an electric driving motor, a movable hand-switch controlling the operation of the motor, a keyboard, a movable locking plate therefor, and connections between the hand-switch and locking plate whereby the latter is moved to its active and inactive positions as the motor is stopped and started, respectively.

3. In a typographical machine, the combination of a keyboard, power-driven means therefor, means for throwing said powerdriven means out of action at will, locking means for the keyboard, and means whereby said locking means are rendered active automatically as the power-driven means are thrown out of action.

4'. In a typographical machine, the com bination of a keyboard, power-driven means therefor, a manually operated device for throwing said power-driven means out of action, a movable locking plate associated with the keyboard, and connections between the manually operated device and locking plate whereby the latter is moved to its active and inactive positions as the powerdriven means are thrown out of and into action, respectively. I

5. In a linotype machine, the combination of a source of power, means for shutting off the power at will, locking means to prevent the release of matrices from the magazine, and means whereby the shutting off of the power automatically renders the locking means active.

6. In a typographical machine, the combination of a source of power, means for shutting off the power at will, a keyboard,

and means actuated automatically by the shutting olf of the power to prevent the manipulation of the keyboard.

7. In a typographical machine, the combination of a keyboard presenting a series of linger keys, a locking plate formed with slots through which the forward ends of the finger keys extend andmovable backwardly and forwardly to shift the end walls of its slots into and out of engagement with the finger keys so as to prevent or permit the actuation of the finger keys according to the position of the locking plate, powersdriven means for the keyboard, means for throwing said power-driven means out of action at will, and means whereby the throw-out ofthe power-driven means effects the move ment of the locking plate to active position.

8. In a typographical machine, the com bination of a keyboard presenting a series of finger keys, a locking plate formed with slots through which the forward ends of the finger keys extend and movable backwardly and forwardly to shift the end walls of its slots into and out of engagement with the finger keys so as to prevent or permit the actuation of the finger keys according to the position of the locking plate, powerdriven means for the keyboard, a manually operated device controlling the operation of said power-driven means, and connections between the manually operated device and the locking plate whereby the latter is moved to its active and inactive positions as the power-driven means are rendered inactive and active, respectively.

9. A combination as recited in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the keyboard locking means therein recited are also capable of independent manual operation so as to permit the finger keys to be locked or unlocked at will.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature hereto.

' DAVID S. KENNEDY. 

